Once Upon a Tragic Time
by Silver33650
Summary: What if GLaDOS was finished in time for Cave to be uploaded? What were the costs of accomplishing this? But some things can't be changed... Cave/Caroline. Twoshot.
1. The Issue

**A/N: Just a heads up here: this has nothing to do with my other fic, which I'm definitely still working on. Just so we're all on the same page.**

**So there I was, trying to get past some writer's block, when I thought up this little idea. It just kinda came out of nowhere, and once I started, I couldn't stop. I wrote it all in a rush when I should've been getting a good night's rest, but that didn't happen. I don't know how good it is, it might be trash, but here goes.**

_I. The Issue_

Cave Johnson was dying.

He knew it, and everyone knew it. People averted their eyes in the hallway, always looking down or away to avoid looking at the dying man. He didn't want their pity. He just wanted them to finish GLaDOS.

Every day, after pretending to eat lunch to appease Caroline, he would wander into the future chamber for the massive AI's computer. He would watch them assemble the parts, connect the cirucuitry, and ignore the fact that their boss was overseeing their every move. Caroline had suggested that he stop watching them, but he couldn't help it. His time was running out, and he wanted to make sure they would get it done. There was no way he was going to die like this. He was going to live forever, dammit, and nothing else compared to accomplishing that. _Nothing._

* * *

><p>Caroline tried to ignore it.<p>

The constant echoes of coughing in the halls, the tap of his cane on the hard floors, and worst of all, the never ending requests for more pain pills. She was busier than ever, even busier than she'd been when they'd still had astronauts for test subjects instead of astrophysicists.

Every day, Cave spent more time watching progress on GLaDOS than doing actual work, so she'd been forced to take over many vital operations just to make sure the company didn't wither and die, that all the work on GLaDOS be lost due to his neglect. She was running herself ragged, but it was worth it to save him... and to save herself.

She knew it.

She was selfish. Once Cave gave the order for her to be placed in the computer should he die before its completion, her biggest fear was getting trapped in the metal monster for all eternity. She had no plans to live endlessly as a supercomputer, but if Cave wanted that fate, she wasn't about to stop him. Besides, he deserved it. He was a great man, Cave Johnson, and it killed her to see him in such a sorry state. She didn't want to see him die like that as much as she didn't want to be put into GLaDOS.

And so she worked tirelessly for his sake and hers.

But it was hard.

Running a business the size of Aperture was demanding. She had always enjoyed her position previously, working off the clock for the fun of it, but now it was out of necessity. Nights and weekends were spent keeping the company afloat, herding it away from the brink of collapse. The rest of the employees were in the same boat, as Cave had ordered nonstop work on GLaDOS. Nonstop meant nonstop, and the work crew rotated out every ten hours.

At least they got breaks then, Caroline thought, practically falling down the stairs in her haste to get from one side of the facility to the other. Even though there were elevators, with the modern enrichment center still under construction, there were many places that required quite a walk to get to, with no easy shortcuts. She wished she could just use a ASHPD, but they weren't quite handheld... yet.

* * *

><p>They were almost done.<p>

He'd given up actually doing his job. Now he watched the progress nonstop, sleeping whenever the tiredness took him, eating only when Caroline wouldn't budge on the issue, his eyes always locked on the machine below from his observation room. The glass window was spotless- he couldn't allow anything to impair his view, and Caroline was the only other person allowed in his den. He now had a personal communication link with her at all times- he could requisition pain pills whenever he wanted.

He watched them tirelessly, never looking away, except when sleep took him. He was often unsure of just how long he slept for- progress never halted, and with most of the structural components finished on GLaDOS he could no longer rely on that to tell him how much time had passed. Now it was down to circuits and programming, and still he watched. He couldn't afford to miss the moment when they looked up at his window and said they were ready for him. He would sooner die.

* * *

><p>Caroline often entered the room to find Cave asleep, but this time was different. He didn't respond when she called his name, didn't respond as her voice rose in volume, didn't respond when she shook him, gently at first, then harder as her voice grew shrill. Panic consuming her, she forced herself to overcome the mounting hysteria, get her breath and heartbeat under control as she called the emergency med team. Even still, her panic returned after she made the call when she felt how weak his heartbeat was.<p>

_No no no no nononononono..._

She shook him harder, screaming at him that she couldn't lose him, that she didn't want the fate he'd damned her to. By the time the med team arrived, her face was blank and lifeless as she sat by his side, gripping his hand tightly in hers. She could barely remember what happened when her mind went numb, but suddenly Cave was blinking, twitching, and Caroline burst into tears.

His eyes, unfocused, surveyed the people who had just saved his life and coldly reminded them that only himself and Caroline were allowed in this room, and they left with haste. His cold, blank stare moved to his window, and he barked at the technicians to get back to work. Yet there was only softness in his gaze when he turned to a still-sobbing Caroline, took the pain pills from her hand, and thanked her as he popped a few into his mouth.

Word of Cave's near death spread at a speed only possible with portals. There was a new look in everyone's eyes around the facility when Caroline passed. The employees looked at her with pity, armed with the knowledge that Cave was on his last legs, and that she would have to take his place. Caroline hated them for giving up on him, for writing him off. She knew many of them wanted him to die, even after all the blood, sweat, and tears he'd poured into the company. The man had poisoned himself trying to save them, for the love of God. He was Cave Johnson, dammit, and she would make sure he got his wish.

She worked the GLaDOS technicians harder. Forced them to work twelve hour shifts instead of ten. She skipped meals and relied on vitamins to sustain her. Barely an hour of sleep was her rest at night, and coffee was her lifeblood, her new best friend. She was working herself to death, she knew, but it was a race against the clock and death had already tried to take him once. She wouldn't allow the reaper a second chance at him. She was in a race against death, one she was determined to win, and the prize was Cave's immortality.

She'd show them all. She'd save him. She'd save herself.

* * *

><p>Cave wasn't quite sure how time worked anymore.<p>

The men and women below him moved in a blur no matter how hard he tried to focus on them. Even Caroline looked fuzzy when she brought him pain pills. His mind would go blank for hours at a time, it seemed, and he was pretty sure it wasn't because he was sleeping during those instances. He was dying, sure, but his reason for living was still being built, and once it was completed, he'd have no reason to die.

There were only two subjects his mind could focus on now- Caroline and GLaDOS. Caroline for the lifeblood she brought, the pain pills he needed, that he couldn't live without. GLaDOS for his future, for where he'd spend the rest of his life. He wondered if his existence in a supercomputer would be anything like his existence now. He hoped not. He was sure it would be better. He would have control over everything in the facility then, concrete control. They would have to do whatever he said then, no matter what. Forever.

Caroline and GLaDOS. The only things that gave his life meaning anymore.

Sometimes he wished Caroline would join him in his immortality. Cave knew he wasn't perfect- it was why he relied so much and so often on her advice. But every time he'd extended the offer to Caroline, she refused. She would only become an AI as a last result, and Cave respected her too much to force her. No, he would be alone in his eternal life, but if it saved him from death, he didn't care. He refused to die.

* * *

><p>Caroline demanded progress reports every three hours from the scientists. She refused to let them procrastinate or deceive her. She would get the truth about how far it had progressed, no matter what.<p>

She knew they hated her- she didn't care. She knew everyone hated her- she still didn't care. Nothing mattered more than saving Cave's life. _Nothing. _Not their well-being, and certainly not her own.

_Nothing._

It's what she told the med team when they found her unconscious at the bottom of a staircase and rushed her to the ICU. Even as they were shoving needles into her and running tests, she screamed at them to make sure progress on GLaDOS was continuing, screamed at them to keep working on the AI. Even half-conscious with the drugs they gave her, she still whispered in her dream-like state commands to save him.

It was her only reason for living anymore.

When she finally fully regained consciousness, feeling slightly disoriented but overall more clear-headed than she had in ages, they told her it was ready. That could only mean one thing. Her face lit up, but they told her not to move until she was fully recovered. It didn't matter. She tore off the sheets and ran to him, leaving the doctors and nurses glad they'd had the foresight to remove her IV and other wires before they gave the news.

Caroline, meanwhile, reached Cave breathless and running on pure adrenaline. His eyes were glazed, but they gained a spark of their old life when she passed on the news. After a sharp cough that ravaged his frail form, he calmly asked her to help him up. Leaning on each other and his sturdy cane, they made their way down to the AI's chamber together.

* * *

><p>Now that it was time, Cave was nervous.<p>

He looked up at GLaDOS with amazement and apprehension. That was where he would spend the rest of his life, he thought. He had made it. He had stuck it out.

Still, he couldn't help but treasure what he knew he'd lose as they prepared him for the transfer. He sat in a plain chair, with wires hooked to every inch of his head. Caroline never left his side, and he valued the warmth vibrating from her soft hands as they clenched his cold, frail ones. He didn't want her to leave, even though he knew she'd have to let go once the process actually started. And so he focused his hardest on writing this moment into his memory.

Finally, the technicians announced it was ready, and Caroline's eyes grew wide. He smiled slightly, though a cough overcame him, and she bent down to see eye to eye with him. Their eyes locked, and Cave knew he wanted to tell her something, that he wanted to tell her _now._

And yet...

He would have all the time he wanted to tell her after the transfer. She looked confused as he told her not to worry about it, and she nodded, tears filling her eyes. He tried his best to squeeze her hands, and she squeezed right back. He took in her face, knowing he'd probably never see her this close again, and there was another thing he wanted to do... Another cough racked his body, and he knew he was pushing his luck too much. He told her to go, and with a final squeeze she retreated to stand among the spectators. The entire GLaDOS development team was in attendance, and they all watched as he nodded, giving the signal to allow them to start the procedure. He kept his eyes on Caroline as one of the scientists pulled a lever.

Instantly, his head felt like it was going to explode. It was fire, a harsh, electric fire that consumed him, incinerating every rational thought remaining in his head. He fought to keep conscious, but it was impossible. The fire in his mind was overwhelming, and he couldn't win.

Before he lost consciousness, his last thought was of Caroline, an unfocused memory of the warmth of her hand.

* * *

><p>Caroline felt lightheaded as he heard Cave scream when the transfer started. It was a tortured scream that came from his soul, and it made her cringe. Many of the scientists looked uncomfortable as well, but none of them looked close to passing out as she was sure she did. Her mind was racing. What if this killed him, and the transfer failed? What if she'd been killing herself for nothing? All those months of torturous work, mistreating the employees to the point of cruelty that she'd never anticipated, running herself ragged on nonexistent energy... what if they were wasted? What if she was still damned after this?<p>

_No._ She had to believe that he would survive this. He would just be inside the computer. He would be immortal, thanks to her. If not...

If not, it would be her in that chair soon enough.

As Cave's screaming increased, Caroline found her vision growing fuzzy, and without warning, she collapsed on the floor amid the scientists.


	2. Fallout

_II. Fallout_

Cave had never had migraines before, but he was sure they wouldn't be as bad as this. It wasn't just his head that hurt, though. It was everything. Every wire, every circuit, every- wait.

In a rush, everything came back. The fire. The chair. Caroline's hands...

He was alive.

He was _alive._

His first impulse was to laugh, and he did so, except now his laughter echoed throughout all of Aperture, sounding from the announcement system. It was a success. He knew it was. He was GLaDOS. Finally, finally, he had cheated death. He was effectively immortal, and he laughed with relief.

With a start, he remembered the computer was equipped with a direct optic feed. He turned it on, taking in the scientists gathered around him. Hesitantly, he accessed the feeds for every camera in Aperture, and to his delight, it worked. Every visual input was active, as was the audio. He was operational.

He moved slightly, testing his new body. The scientists gasped as he wriggled around, slowly rotating about the room, looking for two things in particular. He found the one he hadn't wanted to find first.

There was his human body, slumped in the chair, his head caked with blood, the whites of his eyes showing. He was revolted, instantly looking away. Still, the image remained in memory, and he tried to delete it, locating the file and moving it into the recycle bin. Once he emptied it, he couldn't remember the image, and relief shot through him.

The scientists were clamoring for him to speak, but he didn't want to yet. He still wanted to find... there she was.

Caroline stood near the front of the crowd, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her as she stared up at him with wide, anxious eyes. He leaned toward her, and she froze. He zoomed in on her, taking in her damp, ragged hair and creases in her pale face. He knew he was responsible for most of them, with how hard she'd been working to save him in the past months. God was his head clear. He could think more rationally than he had in years, and he realized just how much he owed her for his current state. He needed to show his appreciation, to thank her, to tell her... what he'd wanted to tell her before he was transferred.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her.

He wanted to let her know how much he valued her. She was priceless, irreplaceable. He had relied on her for years, and she had never let him down. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in this position, and he was infinitely grateful.

He tested his audio output again, saying her name. Her eyes widened further, her face paled further.

He'd had her for years, and with any luck, he'd have her for years. And once she was gone...

_No._

She was younger than him, sure, but she wouldn't live forever like he would. Her remaining lifespan would pass in the wink of an optic, and suddenly he'd be without her. He didn't want that to happen. He couldn't let it happen. He didn't want to think about a life without Caroline... he couldn't bear it. He had to prevent her from dying. He had to get her to live forever.

And there was only one way to do it.

Calmly, he ordered the rest of the scientists out of the room. The protested, but he was adamant, and they eventually left, grumbling. Only she remained, frozen to the spot as she stared up at him with her wide eyes.

He followed the scientists' progress, making sure that they were safely out of range before he exercised his absolute control of the facility. He locked down his chamber, shutting everyone out. The scientists reacted in a panic, trying to fight their way into the room and past his firewall, but his security was complete. They wouldn't be getting in, and he was alone with her.

Caroline hadn't moved as the emergency sirens started. He was worried. He said her name again, gently, repeating it until she blinked. Slowly, her face regained its color, then sharply turned red as she realized what he'd done. She started screaming at him.

Patiently he tried to explain what he was trying to do. He wanted her to be immortal, just like him. It wouldn't be too hard. The scientists could just attach a second core to the mainframe, and just like that, GLaDOS would have two brains. And two heads are better than one, he reminded her.

She wouldn't hear it. She crossed her arms furiously, still screaming, wanting him to let her out. He refused. He couldn't let her go. She might die, and then he'd really lose it.

In a flash, she ran to the doors, stumbling slightly. She banged on them, screaming to be let out. He felt lost. Why didn't she want this? He was being so reasonable about it, too. Cautiously, he lowered a claw into the room, letting it come to a stop directly behind her.

He didn't have to listen to her, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. Besides, what could she do? She was just a human, after all, and he was the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, the greatest artificial intelligence ever created. What could she do to stop him?

If she wasn't going to come willingly, he could and would force her.

* * *

><p>Caroline's mind was a mess.<p>

She was already out of it after the scientists had revived her from passing out earlier, dousing her with cold water and giving her a towel to clean up. But now that Cave was in that.. that _thing_, her head was pounding worse than it had before, pounding harder than she was on the doors in her attempt to escape. He had the facility in lockdown, though, and she knew it was useless to try. Still, maybe if she tried hard enough, he would see how much she didn't want this and let her go. And then the scientists could shut him down and this would all be over.

Then his robotic voice- God, she hated how it sounded, hated that she couldn't hear his real voice again- calmly informed her that he was not afraid to use force. A shiver rushing down her spine, she turned around, and her entire body numbed to ice. A claw was hanging in front of her, ready to snatch her up, no doubt.

He explained his plans, but she was hardly listening. Instead, she took a quick inventory of the room, being careful not to land her eyes on the chair in the corner which she knew was still operational. With all the scientists' work in this room, there was a lot of stuff just lying around that they'd never bothered to clean up. Weighted storage cubes, half-built faith plates, several turrets, a prototype ASHPD... She ran across the room, diving toward the portal gun, grabbing it just as she ducked under a desk. He followed her with his head, the claw close behind, and she reached out and grabbed a turret, fumbling for the on button.

_I'm different..._

Caroline almost screamed. That wasn't what turrets were supposed to say when activated.

The claw tried in vain to reach her under the table, but it wouldn't fit into the small space. It retracted, and Caroline allowed herself a small sigh of relief as the defective turret spoke again.

_It won't be enough._

He pleaded with her to see sense. He wanted her to join him, that was all. He told her it wouldn't hurt too much, that it was worth what she would gain. After all, they would be together.

She spotted a prototype rocket sentry and tried to reach for it, but it wasn't close enough. She shot an orange portal at the wall behind her and the blue at the wall behind the sentry, reaching though to grab it.

He saw the opening, and the claw shot toward the portal. In panic, she shot another blue portal elsewhere in the room, anywhere else, and the claw crashed into the suddenly solid wall. Sparks flew at her face, and she shielded her face as he withdrew the claw clumsily.

He wasn't angry, though, just disappointed. He thought she was smarter than this, that she would understand the opportunity he was giving her. They had been partners for so long, so why shouldn't that continue forever?

The claw shot toward her new blue portal, and she shot it elsewhere again. The claw changed its course quickly, and as she continued to change its location, he got better at predicting where it would go.

And all the time he kept his optic on her, huddled under the desk in panic. He tried to tell her all the perks of being immortal. Ten seconds of torture for unlimited lifetimes of science, he reasoned. Surely she still loved science, right? Surely nothing in her mind had taken the supreme place science held.

Caroline's panic was rising, and she knew she had to calm down. Breathe, she told herself firmly as she shot blue portal after blue portal, _breathe. _Finally she realized the solution was simple- she shot an orange portal instead, and the claw shot through it and came out the blue portal across the room.

He snapped the claw in frustration and removed it from the orange portal. It wound toward her again as he tried to lean in closer to her.

He spoke to her as if she were a child, patiently explaining why she couldn't refuse his offer. It only served to cement it in her mind that he was no longer Cave Johnson, the man she'd sacrificed everything to save. She'd failed, after all. She was a failure.

She leaned her head back against the wall, cherishing the physical pain it brought over the mental throb in her head.

_Get mad!_

She looked back down at the two objects in her lap and remembered the whole reason she'd grabbed them in the first place. She looked back at the thing in front of her, the thing that was supposedly Cave Johnson. He wasn't going to let her go. He wouldn't. She closed her eyes, fighting the tears forming there. She didn't want to, but she had the right tools. She could get out of this, but at what cost?

* * *

><p>Cave was glad the scientists had all but given up trying to fight past his security, and now he could devote his full attention to Caroline. She wouldn't come out from under the desk, no matter how much he pleaded. If only the tables weren't bolted into the floor. He supposed he could just rip the desk away, but he might hurt her. He didn't want to do that if he didn't have to. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he hurt her. He wanted her to come willingly.<p>

But so far nothing he'd said had any effect on her. She was so stubborn. He'd used up all his cards, except one. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to say it, but he knew he had to. He couldn't wait until she was immortal too. He had to tell her now if he wanted any chance at keeping her.

And so he told her.

* * *

><p>She couldn't breathe.<p>

She thought that wasn't Cave Johnson in there, but he'd just said... Who else but him would say that? She had always dreamed of him telling her that, but could she trust him now? Was he even Cave Johnson?

Fighting to keep her voice steady, she asked him to repeat it.

He did so.

Time stood still.

* * *

><p>The chamber was dead silent.<p>

He meant it, he knew. She had to understand that. He meant it with all his mechanical heart. He wanted her, he needed her, and there was only one way to express that properly, with the sentence he'd just confessed to her.

He'd never told her before. Why had he waited so long? Was it because he thought she always knew? Or was it because he was afraid she hadn't always known?

* * *

><p>The words he'd just spoken, twice, resounded in her ears, thumping to her heartbeat. She still couldn't breathe, couldn't even blink. She was thinking of all the times they'd touched, all the times they'd locked eyes, all the times they'd been together but not in the way she wanted. And now he said he had wanted it too.<p>

God, did she want it.

He was offering forever, with him. And now she knew for sure. He wanted her with him, really wanted her. Needed her, even. How could she die on him? She couldn't leave him... could she? She could make it work. She could live forever... she could handle it, if it was with him.

Her eyes finally fell on the dead body in the chair across from her.

_Don't make lemonade._

Before, the turret had attempted to mimic Cave Johnson's voice, but now it sounded sad, almost remorseful.

The man in that chair had been frail, dying, and certainly insane. He'd pushed himself to ridiculous limits, and he'd inspired her to do the same. And she had, because it was her duty, and in return, she'd gotten him what he always wanted. But the thing in the machine... She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. If there was one thing she knew about him, it was that he respected her. And he knew that she didn't want this and would never want this. As much as it tore her heart out to know...

That machine wasn't Cave Johnson.

She found the button and turned on the rocket sentry, setting it down to let it find its target. He moved slightly, assessing the image it took in, hearing it hum. The optic widened, and the claw shot out as the rocket sentry beeped furiously and launched a rocket toward the machine's head. He hadn't moved fast enough. It shot straight past the claw, hitting the machine dead on, and he screamed as sparks shot everywhere, lighting up the room.

* * *

><p><em>NO.<em>

He was supposed to live forever, and yet his metal body was ripped through by the rocket. He could feel his sensors shutting down, all input and output going haywire before going dead. Going dead... just like he would. No. NO!

He could barely form a coherent thought as he was blasted to pieces, but he could remember something. Something vague and foreign to his metal body... In horror, he realized what it was as he shut down permanently- it was the feeling of warmth from her hand.

* * *

><p>Caroline didn't bother looking away. She watched everything. Watched the head split apart, debris flying everywhere as cables snapped and ciruits fried. Heard the scream autotune before abruptly cutting off into a sharp static whine that faded out into silence. Bits of metal rained down, littering the ground with shrapnel.<p>

The doors flew open, and the scientists rushed in. She crawled out from under the desk, not bothering to stand up. She lay still on the floor, letting the scientists inspect her as they called the med team, while still others surveyed the damage.

She'd killed him.

She had to do it, she knew, and it wasn't the same Cave Johnson she'd always known, but it still felt like murder, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She'd murdered her boss. All that work to save him just to damn him... The tears came faster now, and she couldn't stop them as the med team took her away.

She'd damned him. There was no way they could repair the part that held his personality, the head, after she'd shot the rocket through it. The rest of the mainframe was probably worth salvaging, and after a few repairs and adjustments to avoid a repeat of that debacle, there would be Cave's last wish to honor...

The tears never stopped in the hospital either. She had to damn him, and now it paved the way for someone else to take his place.

By damning him, she'd damned herself.


End file.
